Machine for pressing and finishing hats.



No. 674,|32. Patented May l4, I90I.

. H. S. BLAKE.

MACHINE FOR PRESSING AND FINISHING HATS.

(Application filed Dec. 24, 1900.\

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J o l ..f O weaved? 7w I %W E 9 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT S. BLAKE, OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR PRESSING AND FINISHING HATS.

SPECIFIGATIQN forming part Of Letters Patent 674,132, (1211766. 14,1901.

Application filed December 24, 1900. Serial No. 40,875. (No model.)

1'0 ctZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HERBERT S. BLAKE, acitizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Amherst, inthe county of Hamp- 5 shire and State of Massachusetts, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Pressing andFinishing Hats, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for pressing andfinishing hats, and particularly pertains to hat pressing or finishingmachines of the general character illustrated in my former LettersPatent, dated J anuary 30, 1900, No. 642,419.

One object of the present invention is to improve the appliancesespecially in regard to the male die, which is composed, as to theportion thereof which directly comes in contact with the surface of thehat, of india-rubber in any of its suitable elastic compounds or ofequivalent flexible material, especially to the end of preventingleakage of the pressure fluid employed within the flexible die or matrixfor distending the same.

Another object of the invention is to generally simplify and render themachine more practical and efficient.

The invention consists in the arrangements 0 and constructions of theparts, all substantially as herein described, and set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which the presentimprovements 5 are illustrated and in which the figure is asubstantially central vertical section through the machine andespecially showing the structural character of the novel appliances.

In the drawing, A represents the frame of 0 the press, of any suitabledesign having fit: ness to the purpose, comprising the transverse tableor bench, on which is supported the lower or male die 0, which isstationary, while working above said die is the female die D,

5 movably mounted and vertically guided to descend upon and to inclosethe crown portion of the male die and to rise away therefrom to the openposition shown in the drawing under the operation of the toggle, towhich the operating-lever '0 has pivotal and link connections at '0 ando. The lower die is of bat shape, with its crown upstanding, and the upper die is of a shape comformable thereto and is secured in and carriedby a jacketed or steam-chambered die-seat b. A circulation of steam ismaintained in the said chambered die-seat, and the heat is transmittedtherefrom to the female die. The lower die comprises as a base therefora shallow basin or metallic plate G, understood as having the form inplan of the brim of a hat and having a central elliptical opening 6. Thelower die further comprises as the portion thereof which directly comesin contact upon the inner and under side of the hat and brim theiudia-rubbeer or elastic-composition section of hat shape,

tical horizontal flange h, resting on the top of and vulcanized to thetop of the basin G, the

depending annular or continuous elliptical portion *6, and the loweroutturned flange or portion j, which lies in contact on the under sideof the basin G, and J represents the bottom or wall of the chamberedlower die, secured to the part Gby bolts or screws, clamping betweensuch plate and the said part G the said lower outturned'portionjof therubber appliance. There is also comprised in the lower die, resting onthe plate-bottom J, the elliptical ring L, having at its upper edge aseries of recesses or ports is, and resting on the upper edge of saidring L is a thin metallic shell having approximately the shape of theinterior crown portion of the rubber appliance.

M representsa pipe leading in an upward .direction into the lowerchambered male die.

N represents a water-inlet pipe, and 0 represents a water-outlet pipe,both" having a common connection with the conduit M. n represents ashut-off cock in the pipe N for preventing theinflow of water to andthrough pipe-section M, and 0 represents a shut-0E cock for preventingwhen closed the How of water through the outlet-pipe 0. These appliancesare the same as illustrated in my aforementioned patent and for the samemanner of use as therein fully explained.

male or lower die of the depending portion j of the rubber die-section,which fits the opening in the basin or lower plate Gand which has theoutwardly-turned portion or flangej vulcanized to the bottom of theplate G, (as well as the upper flange vulcanized to the top of theplate,) said lower flange or portion being disposed between and heldsubject to the clamping pressure of the base-plate, which is secured orbolted to the die-bottom, that there can be no leakage or oozing out ofthe pressure fluid at the place of contact between the top of thebase-plate G and the Wide flange of the said rubber appliance, whichrests thereon and is preferably vulcanized thereto.

In other Words, the internal Wall of the rubber part is continuous fromits top down to the under plate J, and if any leakageor oozing from theinterior of the die takes place it is below the base and never above it,and hence such could never injure the brim being pressed or finished orinterfere with the quality of the pressing and finishing results.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a hat pressing and finishing machine comprising the male andfemale dies,the male die composed of the hat-shaped part formed ofrubber or analogous material, having tip- Wall and crown-sides portions,a centrally-apertured metallic base G to which the brimflange of thesaid rubber part is secured, and said rubber part having a dependingsection 1' conforming to the inner edge of the opening in said base G,means for closing the aperture in the bottom of the metallic base G, apressure-fluid supply and exhaust for the male die; and the female diehaving means for imparting movements thereto relatively to the male die,substantially as described.

2. In a hat pressing and finishing machine comprising the male andfemale dies: the male die composed of the hat-shaped rubber part havingtip-Wall, crown-sides and brim-flange portions, a centrally-apcrturedmetallic base G on which the brim-flange of the said rubber part issupported, and said rubber part having a depending section '5 conformingto the inner edge of the opening in said base G, and having theoutwardly-turned portionj in contact against the under side of saidbase, the plate J, secured to the under side of the base G for closingthe aperture therein, a pressurefluid supply and exhaust passage for themale die; and the female die having means for imparting its movementsthereto relatively to the male die, substantially as described.

3. In a hat pressing and finishing machine, the male die composed of thehat-shaped rubber part having tip-wall, and crown-sides and brim-flangeportions, a centrally-apertured metallic base G to which the brim-flangeof the said rubber part is secured, and said rubber part having adepending section '2; conforming to the inner edge of the opening insaid base G, a plate secured against the urn der side of base G forclosing the aperture therein, the ring resting on the base, and providedwith a pressure-fluid supply and exhaust pipe for the male die, enteringthereinto the apertures or ports, the inverted shell, resting on thering, through said bottom-closing plate, substantially as described.

Signed by me at Springfield, Massachusetts, in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

HERBERT S. BLAKE.

Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLoWs, O. F. WHITE.

